Louisiana's Military Heritage:

     Vessels named USS NATCHITOCHES

USS NATCHITOCHES

Only one ship has thus far had the honor to bear the name of NATCHITOCHES, the 22^nd largest city of Louisiana and a Native American word meaning "place where the soil is the color of red ocher."

USS NATCHITOCHES (May 29, 1969 ~ October 13, 1995):

USS NATCHITOCHES (YTB-799), a Natick-class large harbor tug, was laid down on June 24, 1968, at Southern Shipbuilding Corporation of Slidell, Louisiana.  She was launched on January 09, 1969, and delivered to the Navy on May 22, 1969.

USS NATCHITOCHES (YTB-799)

Photo courtesy of NavyTugs.com.

The Natick-class harbor tug USS NATCHITOCHES (YTB-799).

Photo courtesy of the Unofficial U.S. Navy Site.

NATCHITOCHES was placed into service on May 29, 1969, and assigned to Boston Naval Shipyards.  She was later reassigned to Naval Station Puget Sound at Everett, Washington.  She would eventually be reassigned to the 6^th Naval District at Charleston, South Carolina, before being placed out of service.  She was stricken from the Navy vessel register on October 13, 1995.

NATCHITOCHES was transferred to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on December 28, 1995, and renamed D.L. BILLMAIER.  As of September of 2008, she continues to sail under this name in the Great Lakes region, conducting breakwater repairs and maintenance at ports on Lake Michigan and Lake Superior.

The former USS NATCHITOCHES (YTB-799) now serves

in the Great Lakes region with the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers as the USAV D.L. BILLMAIER.

Photo courtesy of the Duluth Shipping News.

Ship's Statistics

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All information on USS NATCHITOCHES courtesy of the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,

the Naval Historical Center, the Naval Vessel Registry, NavyTugs.com, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,

and Duluth Shipping News.
Photos courtesy of U.S. Navy unless otherwise noted.

**Copyright 1997-2011 by Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission**